Alela, Cunning Conqueror: Unveiling Forgotten MTG Novels

In TCG ·

Alela, Cunning Conqueror card art from Wilds of Eldraine Commander

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Forgotten Legends and a Faerie Conqueror: Unearthing the Quiet Magic of Eldraine’s Hidden Narratives

If you’ve ever hunted for long-lost MTG novels or chased a thread of lore that seems tucked away in a dusty corner of a collector’s library, you’re not alone. Magic’s story world has always thrived on small, sneaky details that reward patient readers and patient players alike. In that spirit, a card such as Alela, Cunning Conqueror emerges as a bridge between the tactile thrill of a tabletop duel and the broader, sometimes forgotten, tapestry of Eldraine’s fairy-tilled court. With her blue-black mana cost and a set designation that calls back to the Wilds of Eldraine Commander era, she feels like a character who would have fit right into a fan-favorite chapter of a forgotten saga — a tale where elegance and menace share the same wings 🧙‍♂️🎨.

From a flavor perspective, Alela’s design screams story: a legendary Faerie Warlock who soars on flying for tempo and misdirection, then leans on a policy of forcing the board to bend to her will. Her mana cost of 2}{U}{B} positions her squarely in a midrange, spell-heavy shell where control, card draw, and a dash of chaos keep opponents guessing. The artwork by Livia Prima, with its moody Eldraine palette, invites you to imagine a court where conspiring in shadows is as stylish as a coronation. The card’s goad keyword and the token-generating trigger create a dynamic that our old-school lore-loving selves might nickname “the patient manipulation play.” It’s a reminder that even a legendary Faerie can be a master tactician, coaxing the table into a dance that benefits the controller without tipping into blatant aggression ⚔️💎.

Mechanically, the card asks you to think in layers. The first layer is flying and a sturdy 2/4 body, which keeps Alela safe from many ground-based boards while you assemble your plan. The second layer is the spell-triggered token generation: Whenever you cast your first spell during each opponent’s turn, create a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying. That’s not just extra board presence; it’s a tempo engine, a way to accelerate your game plan even when you’re not the active player. Then comes the kicker: Whenever one or more Faeries you control deal combat damage to a player, goad target creature that player controls. Goading forces tough decisions, nudging opponents to move threats they’d otherwise leave alone. It’s cheeky, it’s strategic, and it gives you a whole new dimension of influence across the table 🔥🧙‍♂️.

For lore fans, Alela’s footprint in Wilds of Eldraine Commander deserves a moment of appreciation. Eldraine’s fairy-tale veneer hides a surprisingly sharp edge — a world where magic, politics, and personal ambition intersect like sparks in a forge. Alela’s presence hints at court intrigue and the subtext of Fae politics, the kinds of backroom deals that get retold in fan fiction or whispered about in old novels that didn’t become the next blockbuster. That sense of “history you can feel in the moment” is exactly what makes forgotten MTG novels feel alive even years after their publication. The card’s art and mechanics play into that feeling—fast, lyrical, and a little dangerous—like a page you stumble upon, realizing you’ve found a chapter that wasn’t fully read the first time around 🧙‍♀️🎨.

If you’re considering how best to pilot Alela in a deck, think tempo with a hint of prison or control. Build around cheap instants and sorceries you can cast on opponents’ turns to maximize your first-spell trigger, then lean into goad to bend combat to your advantage. The Faerie Rogue token is not merely a number—it’s additional fuel for goad, a shield against big swings, and a nimble nuisance for adversaries who prefer to ignore the little things. Blue-black combinations lend you countermagic and draw to keep the engine humming, while Alela’s own wings let you dodge some of the heavier ground pressure that aggro and midrange decks often throw at you. It’s a flavor-rich, technically engaging puzzle that’s part storybook, part duel toolkit 🧩🎲.

From a collector’s lens, the card’s mythic rarity and the artwork’s finesse underscore its role as a standout piece from the era. Even as a non-foil print in the set, the card carries a striking presence on the table—an anchor for storytelling moments that feel both cinematic and intimate. If you’ve ever chased the thrill of a forgotten lore thread, this is the kind of card that shows up in your lists and says, “There’s more here than meets the eye.” The beauty of MTG lore is that every generation can discover something new in the same artifact, just as generations of readers have found new meaning in old novels with each reread 🧠💎.

As a practical note for players who love a strong thematic anchor, Alela’s presence invites you to explore a spectrum of deck ideas. She plays nicely with other Faeries, of course, but the true delight is how the goad-centric approach interacts with opponents’ decision trees. When one of your Faeries lands a hit and triggers goad, you’re not just winning a single clash—you’re shaping the board’s long arc. It’s the kind of thing that feels legendary in both the lore sense and the gameplay sense, a reminder that even forgotten narratives can feel vital when you bring them to life at the table 🧙‍♂️🔥.

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Alela, Cunning Conqueror

Alela, Cunning Conqueror

{2}{U}{B}
Legendary Creature — Faerie Warlock

Flying

Whenever you cast your first spell during each opponent's turn, create a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying.

Whenever one or more Faeries you control deal combat damage to a player, goad target creature that player controls.

ID: 79ba5c35-6e5c-406a-b95f-844d5ec296ab

Oracle ID: 1cae5752-b4af-4a8f-8c8c-2493e163083b

Multiverse IDs: 633157

TCGPlayer ID: 512238

Cardmarket ID: 730150

Colors: B, U

Color Identity: B, U

Keywords: Flying, Goad

Rarity: Mythic

Released: 2023-09-08

Artist: Livia Prima

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 3855

Set: Wilds of Eldraine Commander (woc)

Collector #: 3

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — not_legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — not_legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 7.43
  • USD_FOIL: 8.28
  • EUR: 4.36
  • EUR_FOIL: 5.80
  • TIX: 0.75
Last updated: 2025-11-14